Sauron
Recruit the Lord of Rings, Master of Mordor, Dark Lord and wandering Shadow of Dol Guldur, The Disciple of Morgoth. The Necromancer Sauron might not start as much, but through certain tasks he will level up, granting both new powers to his Nazguls and unlocking new abilities for himself. Sauron can be bought for 1000 resources at the citadel but will never need to be bought again. Every time he dies he transforms into a wandering shadow that can be controlled but cannot interact with anything, cannot be attacked and cannot attack. After a set timer he will become the Necromancer again no matter what form he died in. The following tasks all grant a single level to Sauron under any form: * Train a Ringwraith (Citadel, Minas Morgul or Dol Guldur) * Occupy a build plot (Outpost) * Research "Power of Past Ages" or "Grond" (spellbook) * Train a battalion of Castellans or Morgul Riders (Dol Guldur or Minas Morgul) * Control all nine nazguls (Shadow Lord, Dark Marshal, Witch King, Khamul, Black Riders) * Command an army of 20 orc hordes (any orc type of units: Dol Guldur, Minas Morgul, standard, Cirith Ungol) * Recruit the Mouth of Sauron (Citadel) * Let 10 Overseers observe your troops (Mordor Barracks under influence) * Recruit a unit of Cirith Ungol (Cirith Ungol Barracks) * Command a level 5 orc horde (any orc type of units: Dol Guldur, Minas Morgul, standard, Cirith Ungol) * Command a level 3 Great Siege Works (2 troll catapults or 4 catapults or 5 siege towers or 6 battering rams) * Control a level 10 Gothmog or Mollok (Citadel) * Control 4 trolls (at the same time; includes Mollok, Drummer Trolls, Mountain Trolls; Troll Cage) Once at least 9 of these objectives have been completed, Sauron will stop gaining levels and you will no longer be notified if you accomplish a new one. These objectives are the key to strengthening Mordor because of what they allow Sauron to do and represent him gathering his forces and gaining in strength. Each accomplished task can be checked in a special menu at the citadel. Shadow form In Shadow form, Sauron attacks at range with a wave of darkness that damages everything it touches but dealing low single target damage. He can switch to shadow form from flame form by pressing "F" or switch from shadow form to flame form by pressing "D". Abilities Level 1:Wandering Shadow-''' Allows The Necromancer to teleport to an unshrouded location, the range is unlimited but a longer distance means a longer time to get there (even though it is only a few seconds). 'Level 3: Influence of Sauron-' Sauron fills a random building of Mordor (excluding Tol-In-Gaurhoth and the citadel) with his will, unlocking specific effects like new units or upgrades. All the effects are listed in the building descriptions and here below: * Barracks: Overseers can be recruited * Troll Cage: Enables the research of Troll Upgrades * Tribute Camp: Arms the Reinforcements of Rhun and Harad with upgrades * Arsenal: Enables the purchase of fire arrows for Morgul Archers and Orc Archers * Great Siege Works: Enables construction of Troll Catapults * Battle Tower: Enable Battle and Sentry Towers to shoot fire arrows * Slave Camp: Orc Hordes with overseers deal 20% more damage * Slaughterhouse: All Mountain Trolls reach level 2 and are trained at level 2 * Minas Morgul: Lesser Wraiths can now be enslaved into Morgul Shadows * Dol Guldur: Spiders of Mirkwood can be recruited for free * Cirith Ungol: Enables recruitment of Uruk Archers '''Level 5: Dark Swaths: This ability allows Sauron to summon a dark cloud for 30 seconds that reduces the armor of all (friend or foe) units by 50%, heroes and monsters (friend or foe) only lose 25%. This cloud becomes stronger as he gains power: with 6 tasks complete (LV 7) it summons 3 barrow wights at its center, and with 9 task completed (LV10) the cloud can be controlled (although it moves slowly). Level 7: Might of the Damned: This ability that can be used on any Mordor unit and will fill it with necromantic power which, upon death, will be brutally released in an explosion to kill nearby enemies. The power released depends on the "power" of the unit targeted. Flame Form In Flame form Sauron has no attack but causes fire damage to the enemy units he walks through. Be careful, he can still be targeted. He can switch from shadow form to flame form by pressing "F" or switch to shadow form from flame form by pressing "D". He has no initial ability as his first ability unlocks when one task has been accomplished (LV2). Abilities Level 2: Eruption This ability causes the ground to explode at the targeted location on a small area. This deals very little damage and causes all units (friend or for) nearby to be sent flying away from it. Level 4: Burning Prison:'''This ability sets the ground under his feet aflame in a small area around him, causing, after a short time, all heroes trapped in the fiery circle to become rooted for 15 seconds. '''Level 6: Wall of Fire: '''This ability leaves a burning trail wherever he walks for 15 seconds, burning all units that cross into it. '''Level 10: Ruler of Fire: '''This ability fires a mighty shockwave that grants +75% resistance against fire to all nearby allies and -75% resistance against fire for all nearby enemies. Strategy As a shadow Sauron has very little single unit damage and would lose to most scout heroes; however, once positioned behind friendly lines for protection he can cause massive damage to an enemy's army. The optimal strategy is to target the enemy units in the back since the wave causes damage to everything it touches but stops as soon as it reaches its target. His "Influence of Sauron" allows him to unlock various key features of Mordor such as instant Level 2 trolls or the Overseers. The use of his Dark Swaths can be questioned but it is key to remember that heroes and monsters only lose 25% and that buildings aren't affected, plus it gains barrow wights once Sauron reaches level 7. His "Might of the Damned" is a great win-win, it doesn't deal any negative debuff or damage to the targeted units and is a great way to make use of Mordor's inexhaustible hordes. In Flame Form Sauron has more effect on the battlefield than in the base. His attacks set on fire any troops that attack him or that he walks through. However, he puts himself more in danger and has no ability that allows him to make an instantaneous quick escape. Nonetheless, when well managed, a level 4 Sauron should be able to make his escape if the powers "Eruption" and "Burning Prison" are used wisely. Both of these abilities can also be used aggressively: "Eruption" can break a small cavalry charge or simply disturb and infantry formation, and "Burning Prison" can be used to trap heroes, allowing other heroes to come in and finish them. "Wall of Fire" should be used in a similar fashion to his attack, the difference being it leaves behind a burning trail which further damages troops left alive. "Ruler of Fire" can be easily paired with this ability, causing friendly units to be able to bait enemies into the fire without taking damage. Gorthaur Gorthaur was the original form of Sauron back when he was still a Maiar. He can once again regain this form if the spellbook power "Power of the Past Ages" is cast on the Necromancer. The player will then gain Gorthaur, the original form which can transform into a vampire, a werewolf and into Annatar. He can still pick up the One Ring if it is found. Gorthaur Form In this form Gorthaur has 2 palantìri: one for his abilities and one for the transformations. His ability palantir is comprised of four abilities. Gorthaur Spell Palantir '''Level 1: Blade of Destiny: Gorthaur draws his terrible sword and strikes his enemy with its power for a short while. The blade deals increased damage and has a 33% chance of unleashing a terrible vortex which deals damage to enemies around Gorthaur and knocks them back. Level 3: Influence of Sauron: Sauron fills a random building of Mordor (excluding Tol-in-Gaurhoth and the citadel) with his will unlocking specific effects like new units or upgrades, all the effects are listed in the building descriptions on this page, right here and below: * Barracks: Overseers can be recruited * Troll Cage: Enables the research of Troll Upgrades * Tribute Camp: Arms the Reinforcements of Rhun and Harad with upgrades * Arsenal: Enables the purchase of fire arrows for Morgul Archers and Orc Archers * Great Siege Works: Enables construction of Troll Catapults * Battle Tower: Enable Battle and Sentry Towers to shoot fire arrows * Slave Camp: Orc Hordes with overseers deal 20% more damage * Slaughterhouse: All Mountain Trolls reach level 2 and are trained at level 2 * Minas Morgul: Lesser Wraiths can now be enslaved into Morgul Shadows * Dol Guldur: Spiders of Mirkwood can be recruited for free * Cirith Ungol: Enables recruitment of Uruk Archers Level 5: Pillar of Fire: '''This ability summon a controllable pillar that deals flame damage for 10 seconds. '''Level 10: Tol-In-Gaurhoth: '''Gorthaur uses his power to corrupt the landscape and to revive his castle from the First Age. Werewolves can be bred in the castle, the fortress heals fellow units and provides leadership to them, enemy units around the fortress will be weakened and damaged over time with an upgrade. The fortress also shoots deadly lightning at enemies from range. Only one fortress can be present on the battlefield at the same time. Gorthaur Transformation Palantir His ability palantir allows him to transform into the various shapes listed below. Note that once he reverts back to his Gorthaur form all the transformation abilities will go on cooldown. '''Level 1: Vampire Lord Form: '''The Lord of Vampires will transform into a vampire bat and call his allies. '''Level 3: Werewolf Form: '''Sauron created horrid beasts in his castle which eventually received the name "Isle of Werewolves". This ability unlocks at level 3 and allows Gorthaur to transform into a mighty werewolf. '''Level 4: Annatar Form: '''This ability cannot be used in sight of enemy forces. Sauron will disguise himself as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, to deceive his foes. He cannot attack or be attacked and can freely walk among his enemies. '''One Ring Form (Requires the One Ring): 'Once the One Ring has been recovered, Gorthaur takes the shape of a dreadful dark lord and increases his power. He becomes the Sauron that has made Mordor known and begins rampaging through the map. Vampire Lord Form The Lord of Vampires will transform into a vampire bat and call his allies. Abilities '''Revert back to Gorthaur: ' Allows him to switch back to Gorthaur form; however, it starts on a cool-down and can only be used after a short while. 'Level 1: Leech: '''Drains the health of nearby enemies. ''(Passive ability) '''Level 3: Darken the Skies: Calls another swarm of vampire bats to the target area. Enemies will cause 75% less damage under the swarm. Level 5: On Black Wings:' Temporarily boosts Gorthaur's speed by 25%. '''Level 7: Eternal Thirst: '''Gorthaur drains all nearby enemies of their life and restores his own. This causes a medium amount of damage on a big scale. Werewolf Form Sauron created horrid beasts in his castle which eventually received the name "Isle of Werewolves". This ability unlocks at level 3 and allows Gorthaur to transform into a mighty werewolf. In this form he is strong and fast and possesses an AOE attack. Abilities '''Revert back to Gorthaur: ' Allows him to switch back to Gorthaur form; however, it starts on a cool-down and can only be used after a short while. '''Level 1: Claws of Evil: Causes the primary target of his attacks to "bleed", draining their life points for 5 seconds. (Passive ability) Level 3: Relentless Hunt: '''Gorthaur can trample all enemies without being slowed. As soon as the ability is unlocked, it starts on a cool-down, preventing it from being used right away. '''Level 5: Bite of the Werewolf: Gorthaur performs a deadly attack that heavily damages a targeted enemy hero and briefly lowers their attack speed, movement speed and ability recharge speed by 25%. Level 7: Bloodthirst: Boosts the damage of all nearby werewolves by 50%. Annatar Form This ability unlocks at level 4 and cannot be used in sight of enemy forces. Sauron will disguise himself as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, to deceive his foes. He cannot attack or be attacked and can freely walk among his enemies. While he is in Annatar form, his abilities will not only create benefits for the player, but also for the enemy. Abilities Revert back to Gorthaur: ''' Allows him to switch back to Gorthaur form; however, it starts on a cool-down and can only be used after a short while. '''Level 1: Lord of Gifts: Doubles the gained experience of all nearby units but reduces their armor by 25%. (Passive ability) Level 3: Spoiled Suggestion: Annatar "dazzles" enemy units and makes them fight for him for the next 30 seconds. Additionally they receive +50% attack damage and armor for 60 seconds (meaning their attack and armor boost will still have another 30 seconds after they leave Annatar's control). Level 5: Armistice:. Annatar negotiates an armistice and stops all units and heroes from attacking for 30 seconds. However, during this time enemy resource structures produce 25% more resources. Level 7: Hour of Extinction: Disables all gates by opening them and stops all catapults and battle towers from firing. However, enemy recruitment speed is doubled. Strategy Gorthaur is a mighty hero killer. His deadly blade slashes all matter of armor and deals heavy damage. In addition, his abilities grant him bonuses for hunting down heroes and destroying them. Keep an eye on him if he has low health, because if Gorthaur dies, he will revert to his Necromancer form. The player must then wait until the spellbook power "The Power of the Past Ages" has finished its cooldown before being able to transform the Necromancer back into Gorthaur. The Vampire Lord form allows Gorthaur to fly over his enemies, making him invulnerable to melee attacks but more susceptible to arrows and ranged hero abilities (such as Gimli's "Axe Throw"). This is somewhat compensated for with the new abilities that allow him to regain a significant amount of health. As the Vampire Lord he is a unit interferer. The werewolf is a mighty tank capable of both taking and receiving significant hits. His speed rivals that of most unmounted heroes, and his abilities allow him to work very efficiently as a hero killer. His final ability, however, is best utilized as a unit support ability. Annatar is very unique due to his potentially devastating abilities to paralyze both enemy armies and enemy castle defenses. "Armistice" can be used in combination with "Hour of Extinction" to make a massive push into the enemy castle. Sauron, Ring Master Once the One Ring is recovered Gorthaur takes the shape of a dreadful warrior and increases his power. He becomes the Sauron that has made Mordor known and begins rampaging through the map. Sauron must pick the ring up himself, as it can't be given to him by other units. To emphasize his power Sauron gains a new roster of abilities displayed on the right side similar to the spell book. Abilities Level 1: Lord of Mordor: '''All of the power of Mordor comes from the Lord of the Rings. Sauron grows stronger through completion of certain tasks. He cannot die but will become a wandering shadow upon death, and can rejoin battle after recovering. The Nazgul and Mouth of Sauron's power are tied to the Necromancer; as he grows stronger so do they. Any unit that sustains a casualty near Sauron will soon receive replacements from Mordor's inexhaustible hordes. All enemy leadership and bonus effects are nullified when near to Sauron. '''Level 2: Burning Eye:. Sauron's glare extinguishes the light of hope in the heart of his foes and replaces it with fear and despair. Enemy units flee in terror. Level 3: Influence of Sauron: '''The Dark Lord fills a random building of Mordor with his will. The effects are described on the Mordor page. Left click on the icon and then left click on any building of Mordor. All effects are listed below: * Barracks: Overseers can be recruited * Troll Cage: Enables the research of Troll Upgrades * Tribute Camp: Arms the Reinforcements of Rhun and Harad with upgrades * Arsenal: Enables the purchase of fire arrows for Morgul Archers and Orc Archers * Great Siege Works: Enables construction of Troll Catapults * Battle Tower: Enable Battle and Sentry Towers to shoot fire arrows * Slave Camp: Orc Hordes with overseers deal 20% more damage * Slaughterhouse: All Mountain Trolls reach level 2 and are trained at level 2 * Minas Morgul: Lesser Wraiths can now be enslaved into Morgul Shadows * Dol Guldur: Spiders of Mirkwood can be recruited for free * Cirith Ungol: Enables recruitment of Uruk Archers '''Level 4:Dark Sorcery:. Sauron heals his wounds with the blood of his slain enemies and the accursed dark sorcery of Mordor. Instantly heals 50% of Sauron's total health. Activate with left click. Level 6: The Master Ring: Sauron uses the One Ring to confuse the hearts and minds of his enemies. Targeted enemies will be temporarily converted. Has a large casting range. Left click on target area. Level 7: Might of the Damned: Can be used on any Mordor unit excluding heroes. The target unit is filled with necromantic power which is expelled upon their death, damaging nearby enemies. More powerful units contain more power, which inflicts greater harm when released. Left click on the chosen allied target units. Level 7: Power of Maiar: Sauron will summon a rain of fire dealing heavy damage to both units and buildings. Left click icon then left click on the target area. Level 8: Consuming Darkness: Sauron uses his dark magic to create a magic vortex which draws enemies to its center and devours them. Left click on target location. Level 10: Dark Will:''' If Sauron uses all his might, no one is capable of standing against him in battle. For a short amount of time, Sauron gets an enormous boost to attack damage and armor. His speed and attack speed are also increased by 50%. When activated, Sauron will become the most powerful unit in the entire game. Left click to activate. '''Level 10: Tol-in-Gaurhoth: Sauron uses his power to corrupt the land and resurrect his fortress of the First Ages. It can train werewolves, harm nearby enemies and weaken them. Only one fortress can be on the battlefield at a time. Left click on the chosen target area. Strategy Sauron is the most most powerful of all heroes. His mass slayer capabilities are incredibly destructive and his hero killer aspect is no slouch. His attack causes brutal damage on a big AOE almost as big as a wizard blast and more destructive. His abilities can interfere with unit formations in more than one way, he can shoot down a barrage of meteors for massive AOE damage, and his Tol-in Gaurhoth can be used as a defensive structure even in the middle of a battle. "Lord of Mordor" and "Might of the Damned" also make him a great unit supporter, but unlike the others, he doesn't try to keep individual units alive as much as he tries to maximize their use and number. Finally his master ring converts enemies for a short while in a large radius, and as always he has "Influence of Sauron", the ever versatile Mordor buildings upgrade. Upgrades Quotes As the Necromancer Selected/attacking/moving "Wutunakash..." "Nizaguryaff..." "Tralaka-ash..." As Gorthaur Reawakened "...I am revealed to you at last..." Selected "... Abandon this petty rebellion..." "... I am the origin of life; the devourer of death..." "... Now you understand..." "... Even when you rebel, you are doing my will..." "... How could you profit from this defiance..." Moving "... Very good..." "... Yes..." "chuckles" As the Master of the One Ring / Terrible Form All "Shre nazg golugranu kilmi-nudu" "Ombi kuz-durbaggu gundum ishi-bagu" "Ashi... Burzum-ishi." “Build me an army worthy of Mordor.” Trivia * Gorthaur is voiced by Tony Jay (Voice of the Elder God in Legacy Of Kain: Defiance). de:Sauron Category:Ring Hero Category:Mordor Category:Maiar Category:All Rounder Category:Hero Category:Mordor Hero Category:Mordor All Rounder